Flyers foward Matvei Michkov and goaltender Ivan Fedotov are two of the 33 players selected for the annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase which begins on Sept. 4. The event, sponsored by Upper Deck, is held annnually and will take place in Arlington, Virginia at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
It’ll mark the first time Michkov will be on the ice wearing a Flyers jersey against other NHL competition. The Flyers are also one of the few teams with more than one player invited and the only team in the Metropolitan Division with two players included. Other Metropolitan Division invitees include the Rangers’ enforcer Matt Rempe, the Capitals’ Ivan Miroshnichenko and the Devils’ Seamus Casey among others.
Some of the more well known names on the list include the 2024 NHL Draft top pick Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, former Flyers prospect and current Anaheim Ducks forward William Gauthier. Montreal’s Lane Hutson and Josh Doan of the Utah Hockey Club. The event enables Upper Deck to have the time with each rookie for photographs in order to produce their NHL licensed rookie card.
According to last year’s event invitees partipated in a “light scrimmage session” after being interviewed by NHLPA media covering the event. Last year’s Showcase featured 35 invitees including the Flyers’ Tyson Foerster, the top draft pick in Chicago’s Connor Bedard, three members of the Columbus Blue Jackets (Adam Fantilli, Denton Mateychuk and Stanislav Svozil) and a trio of Montreal Canadiens (Owen Beck, Sean Farrell and Filip Mesar). The 2022 version of the Rookie Showcase didn’t feature a single Flyers hopeful.
It’s unclear if Michkov or Fedotov will be returning to Washington on Sept. 22 when the Flyers play their first proper preseason tilt against the Capitals. It’s probably a good bet though that a lot of eyes will be zeroed in on the Mad Russian as he takes to the ice in Virgina after Labor Day. And it’s a guarantee that Fedotov, now 27, will be the oldest rookie on the ice of the 33 invitees.
